Univercells Technologies Partners with TFBS Bioscience

TFBS Bioscience, a GMP viral vector contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region providing the first viral vector manufacturing in Taiwan, has entered a partnership with Univercells Technologies, a provider of novel biomanufacturing technologies for flexible and scalable viral production. TFBS will leverage the scale-X carbo mid-scale fixed-bed bioreactor from Univercells for good manufacturing practice (GMP) viral vector operations at the expanding state-of-the-art New Taipei City facility.

TFBS manufactures viral vectors, including adeno-associated virus (AAV), lentivirus (LV), adenovirus (Adv), retrovirus (RV), and custom vectors for research/preclinical or clinical studies use (GMP-compliant, up to phase II). The team is currently working to deliver a one-stop service approach, building comprehensive quality control (QC) testing for viral vectors and related biological safety testing services into the onsite offer at the expanding New Taipei City facility. And construction is soon to be underway for the addition of a new GMP-grade manufacturing facility for viral vectors expected to be online in 2024.

“The era of cell and gene therapy is moving rapidly here in APAC, and we are happy to add the scale-X carbo bioreactor to our toolbox of enabling technologies. The ability to support existing processes with simplified process transfer and scale-up from traditional flatware or packed-bed bioreactors, or to start with new process design is critical,” said Thomas Yuan, CEO, TFBS. “This is the only technology offering a mid-scale solution for GMP production, allowing customers to reach clinical stages with reduced time and costs, while achieving high productivity to keep programs on track. This technology will be available from August 2022 onwards.”

“The Taiwanese life sciences market is continuing to grow, taking 2.4% of a $414B market in 2022.¹ We are honored to partner with a CDMO like TFBS Biosciences to support continued advancement of affordable and accessible biologics production in the region, and globally,” said Mathias Garny, CEO, Univercells Technologies. “Our full scale-X bioreactor portfolio is built on the tenets of intensification and integration, which will be critical to continuing to enable both internal and outsourced manufacturers as this market evolves.”

The full scale-X bioreactor portfolio includes the hydro for small-scale benchtop and research applications; carbo for process development, clinical and scalable commercial phases, which will be leveraged in this partnership; and the nitro for large-scale commercial production.

1. https://carnegieendowment.org/2021/11/24/taiwan-s-opportunities-in-emerging-industry-supply-chains-pub-85850